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jojodoug55's review
4.0
Such open and honest storytelling. I was not much of a fan of Jessica Simpson before (just because I never really listened to her music; I had nothing against her), but after reading this book I have much respect for her. She is a great writer, too. Her voice is clear and stands out in her narration. I felt like I was having a deep conversation with a close friend while reading. I did not want it to end. It was quite the intimate and enjoyable experience. I was impacted greatly after reading this book. May God continue to bless her and her family. Great read!
tessa_faith's review
2.0
This book was not what I expected and not in a good way. I misread the description and I thought it was going to be actual things she wrote in her journal rather than a book based on what she write in her journal.
There were some interesting parts (all the juicy gossip and Mickey Mouse Club auditions), but I struggled to finish this one.
My biggest problem was that she came off as trying to seem like a regular girl and relate to an average woman, but then she shared stories such as crying about her divorce in first class and crying on the floor of her house as her house manager walked by and staying in a hotel for a completely voluntary surgery.
She also went on about loving yourself and how she feels so confident in her body as if she hasn’t done anything drastic to have the body she has. She didn’t have just one, but TWO tummy tucks...I hope she’s happy after all that work.
She also went on and on about her faith, but then continued to talk about many questionable choices that completely contradict everything she preached throughout the book.
Everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect, but I would have respected her book more if she’d just owned up to her mistakes rather than blaming everyone else and making excuses.
There were some interesting parts (all the juicy gossip and Mickey Mouse Club auditions), but I struggled to finish this one.
My biggest problem was that she came off as trying to seem like a regular girl and relate to an average woman, but then she shared stories such as crying about her divorce in first class and crying on the floor of her house as her house manager walked by and staying in a hotel for a completely voluntary surgery.
She also went on about loving yourself and how she feels so confident in her body as if she hasn’t done anything drastic to have the body she has. She didn’t have just one, but TWO tummy tucks...I hope she’s happy after all that work.
She also went on and on about her faith, but then continued to talk about many questionable choices that completely contradict everything she preached throughout the book.
Everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect, but I would have respected her book more if she’d just owned up to her mistakes rather than blaming everyone else and making excuses.
bhnmt61's review
4.0
I’d heard about this memoir a couple of times, and then someone recommended it to me, and the general opinion seemed to be— “it’s surprising.” And they were right, it is surprising. As a blonde from Texas myself, I knew better than to assume that Jessica Simpson was dumb—and I didn’t—but I also didn’t expect her to be as articulate as she is in telling her story.
By the end, I had come to respect and admire her, especially once she sobered up. She’s been through a lot, and she doesn’t back away from being honest about some of the more difficult episodes. She pulls off that most rare of feats in a celebrity tell-all: she describes her first marriage (to Nick Lachey) without trying to paint herself as a victim or shying away from her own part in their problems. Since I read another memoir a few months ago where the author paid only the barest lip service to being fair about the demise of a relationship, I was maybe especially attuned to being impressed by that. (She is not so kind to John Mayer, but that may be well-deserved.)
All in all, worth reading. She and I are very different people in many ways, but we were both deeply influenced by being raised Baptist in Texas. Especially early on, there were episodes and language that were so familiar to me. I wish she had reflected a little more deeply about the way her faith has changed over the years (as has mine). She’s clearly far more open-minded than either of us were when we were 18-year-old true believers, but she doesn’t really go into that aspect of her life beyond stating that her faith is still important to her.
By the end, I had come to respect and admire her, especially once she sobered up. She’s been through a lot, and she doesn’t back away from being honest about some of the more difficult episodes. She pulls off that most rare of feats in a celebrity tell-all: she describes her first marriage (to Nick Lachey) without trying to paint herself as a victim or shying away from her own part in their problems. Since I read another memoir a few months ago where the author paid only the barest lip service to being fair about the demise of a relationship, I was maybe especially attuned to being impressed by that. (She is not so kind to John Mayer, but that may be well-deserved.)
All in all, worth reading. She and I are very different people in many ways, but we were both deeply influenced by being raised Baptist in Texas. Especially early on, there were episodes and language that were so familiar to me. I wish she had reflected a little more deeply about the way her faith has changed over the years (as has mine). She’s clearly far more open-minded than either of us were when we were 18-year-old true believers, but she doesn’t really go into that aspect of her life beyond stating that her faith is still important to her.
hillary_charlotte's review
5.0
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I’m not a big pop culture person nor a particular Jessica Simpson fan, but I truly enjoyed listening to this book as an audiobook. Jessica did seem very honest and open, and I felt like her voice and true self shined through. Her honesty made her so relatable and it was interesting to see behind the scenes into how she became a pop star and the ups and downs of her life as a celebrity.
booksalacarte's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Drug abuse
stefaniasjourney's review
5.0
This beautifully written book had me crying at the end. I have ALWAYS been a big fan of her (since that Dawsons creek soundtrack), and to see what she battled was interesting. I listened to it in 3 days, knowing I needed to "read" it as fast as I could. I love the songs at the end and hope they are released soon. Its an eye opening book and I loved every word. Thank you Jessica for writing this! A forever fan.
alayna017's review
4.0
Jessica Simpson’s memoir of her childhood and career so far was interesting and honest. It seems she’s very open about most aspects of her life, including sexual trauma as a child, her family dynamics, her first marriage, and her relationship with John Mayer. She’s been on top and she’s faced struggles, and her story was interesting to listen to. She does a great job narrating (and I always want someone to narrate their own memoir).